YSPH students advocate for youth and public health at United Nations forum 

Several YSPH students recently joined other young people at a youth forum where they worked together to find solutions to the challenges facing today’s youth.

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in April.

This year’s theme, “Youth shaping sustainable and innovative solutions,” encouraged dialogue between youth, member states of the United Nations, and world leaders to share their vision and advance solutions and ideas.

Natalia Rovelo Velazquez, MPH ‘24 (social and behavioral sciences), and Tarini Gupta, MPH ‘24 (social and behavioral sciences), served as speakers advocating for youth inclusion towards the goal to end hunger.

"As a nutritionist and emerging public health professional, the platform to advocate for inclusive decision making in response to the growing threats to our food systems was critical,” Gupta said.

The Youth Forum discussions focused primarily on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be under review at the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in July, including no poverty, zero hunger, climate action, peace, justice, strong institutions, and partnerships as the goals.

“Engaging in discussions at the ECOSOC Youth Forum was truly invigorating and inspiring as a young public health professional,” said Andriana Marijic Buljubasic, MPH ‘25 (social and behavioral sciences), who attended the forum. "The problems that plague our world today can sometimes feel so daunting and overwhelming, but it is opportunities like the Youth Forum that give me hope as I know that the passionate and justice-focused advocates in the room are the leaders of the future.”

Cristina Arnés Sanz, MPH ‘25 (epidemiology of microbial diseases), co-organized and moderated the regional session of Europe, North America, and Other States.

“This forum provided a great opportunity for youth in our region to discuss directly with member states our vision to achieve the SDGs under review this year, and the upcoming Summit of the Future," Arnés Sanz said. "As a YSPH student, it is fundamental for me to apply what I learn in class to real-world advocacy and policymaking to try to make a positive impact.”

Arnés Sanz also was a youth representative of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai last December, known as COP28.

Drawing on their academic backgrounds in public health, the students passionately advocated for meaningful youth inclusion in policy and programming to an audience of over 1,000 youth delegates and representatives.

“As a Yale School of Public Health student, participating in this forum was immensely significant. It enabled me to advocate for strategies that go beyond including diverse groups to actively empowering them,” Rovelo Velazquez said.